Educators say extra fed help not nearly enough

By Emily Richmond

Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2002 | 11:03 a.m.

While Nevada's share of federal education dollars has jumped $22 million thanks to President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, educators say it will take much more to pull up the Silver State's struggling schools and students.

Nevada will receive more than $72 million in federal funds for the 2002-03 school year, with $6 million earmarked for Title I schools in Clark County. Title I campuses are those located in impoverished areas with many students qualifying for free or reduced-cost meals.

Although 104 of Clark County's 172 elementary schools qualify for Title I assistance, just 41 of the campuses will actually receive federal funds this year.

"We could try and serve the other schools, but we would be spreading the money so thin it wouldn't make a difference," said Kathy St. Clair, federal grants consultant for the Nevada Education Department. "The increased amount of money from No Child Left Behind has helped us serve a few more schools, but we're still looking at a huge gap."

Administrators decided only schools with 63 percent or more of their students qualifying for free or reduced meals would receive federal dollars, St. Clair said.

"There are a large number of schools that fall below 63 percent but should still be considered high-need," St. Clair said. "It's frustrating not to be able to help them all."

Part of the problem is that the U.S. Education Department, in calculating Nevada's share of Title I dollars, has been using school enrollment figures from 1997 -- the most recent year available, St. Clair said.

Clark County, the nation's fastest-growing school district, had an enrollment of 244,766 last year. The 1997 figures show the district at 190,822.

"Nevada is growing at a furious rate, and the old numbers mean we're getting less than we are entitled to," St. Clair said.

One of the elements of the No Child Left Behind Act is that enrollment levels nationwide will be updated annually beginning next year, said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. For regions experiencing enormous growth, such as Southern Nevada, the switch could mean millions of dollars in additional funds.

"We've usually gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to education dollars, and I think we're getting a fairer shake with No Child Left Behind," Ensign said.

In the meantime, principals and teachers must do what they can to fill the holes left by a shortage of funds at the federal, state and local level. The Clark County School District is facing a budget shortfall of $2.7 million because of underenrollment, which means little funds are available for "the extras."

At Kermit Booker Elementary School in west Las Vegas, a Title I school with 73 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced-cost meals, Principal Beverly Mathis has aggressively sought grants and community partnerships to pay for eduational programs that are beyond the district's funding capabilities. That includes $270,000 awarded this year through the No Child Left Behind Act for a new literacy program.

"Our children deserve the best and we're doing everything we can to give it to them," Mathis said. "We're thrilled to have the money to finally start implementing some of the innovative ideas that we know will help students achieve."

The federal grant is paying not only for supplies but for two reading specialists to work with the children, Mathis said.

"There's no way we would be able to afford extra people without the grant," Mathis said. "The district isn't going to hand us $270,000 anytime soon."

In a report released last week, Democratic members of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee said the Silver State isn't getting the big bucks promised when President Bush first touted his education reforms last January. But Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., called the claims an attempt to mislead the public weeks before the general election.

"I'm dismayed by their rhetoric," Gibbons said. "We have continued to increase education spending, despite today's twin challenges of a war on terrorism and economic recovery."

The report also claims that Nevada has been shortchanged on funding for special education. The 1997 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act promised Nevada more than $120 million, but only $48 million was actually allocated, according to the report.

The school district is required by law to pay the remaining cost of special education programs and services not covered by state and federal funds. Last year, that amounted to $94 million that had to come out of the general fund, said Charlene Green, associate superintendent of student support services for the district.

The per pupil expense for special education was $22,257 in 2001, compared with the district average of $5,145 for general students. Some special education students require only $5,000 in assistance each year, while others may need hundreds of thousands of dollars in services, Green said.

While the state also provides some funds for special education, the monies allotted by the Legislature haven't been enough to cover even teacher salaries, Green said.

"We try to use what we have in a prudent way and meet the kids' needs," Green said. "It would be a blessing to get the funding we need without having to encroach on the general funds."

The encroachment breeds resentment against special education students, often by parents whose children do not have special needs, Green said.

"Our role is make sure all of our kids have access to educational opportunities," Green said. "Special education students should not be seen as a deficit."

Gibbons said under the Republican budget proposal, special education programs would be fully funded within 10 years.

"No one denies 100 percent funding would relieve the states of an enormous burden," Gibbons said. "At the same time, we have to be realistic about the challenges facing this nation and the other priorities we need to meet."